Controlling device



H. CATLIN.

coNTRoLLlNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION'FILED NOV. ,1, i918.

*1,v25'1l0,930.` Patented May 25, 1920.

iva/*neg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOYT-CATLIN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 LANDERS, FRARY & CLARK, 0F NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Application filed November 1', 1918.

To all whom t mag/concern.'

Be it known that I, HoY'r CATLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, in the county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to a device for controlling the operation of two or more rotatable members, such as spindles, which are positioned at xed distances apart, the object being to permit of the rotation of certain ones of these members at a time. A particular use to which the invention is adapted is in the control of a pair of rotary electric switches in order that but one Y of the switches can be operated at a time.

The invention will be illustrated and described in connection with its adaptation for use with electrical switches, but it is to be understood that in its broader aspect it is adaptable for use with groups of rotatable members which are other than switch parts.

In the drawings- Figure l is a top plan view ofa switch construction to which my improvements are applied.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a pair of rotary switches showing the invention applied thereto. y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on.a line 3-3 of IF ig. 2.

Referring tothe drawings-a, denotes one of the switches and b, the other switch.

The construction of the current translating mechanism of the two switches forms no part of the present invention and is not illustrated in detail. It. may be of any form.

The two switches are fixedly mounted on a panel or other suitable support in proper spaced relation with respect to one another.

2, 20, denote the posts of the switches a, b, respectively, and as is usual they are rotatably supported in the base of the switches.

rIhese posts are also in fixed spaced relation to one another.

Mounted on .the posts 2,20, are thedisks 3, 23, each of which is flattened at one side as indicated at 4, 24. These disks are rotatable with the posts. Electric switches are customarily of the snap variety and have definite arcs of movement so that the switch parts always come to rest in definite posi- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No; 260,743.

tions. These disks are so positioned on the posts that one position of rest brings the two flattened sides of the disks into parallelism. Positioned underneath the disks is a locking plate 30, having slotted ends which fit down on to the posts to permit this plate to. shift transversely of the posts.

That portion of the locking plate between the disks is provided with upstanding opposite locking shoulders 3l,` 32, which are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the distance from the flat part of one disk to the curved part of the other disk as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawing the switch b is in on position and the switch a is in off position. It will be observed that the switch b can be rotated to bring about different cur -rent effects, and that the switch a cannot be When the switch b is turned to off position the two flat sides of the disks 3, 23, are in parallelism with the result that either one of the switches can be then operated, but as soon as one of them is operated, the locking plate is shifted to lock the other switch against operation.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the present disclosure is illustrative only ofl my invention and that my invention is susceptible of various modifications and changes which would be within the spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the "following means operated by the rotation of each of said members to lock the other members against rotation.

2. In a device comprising a plurality of members in fixed spaced relation to one another and each rotatable in a single direction, a locking member, and shifting means operatedby the rotation of each of said with both the curved and flattened portions of said rotatable members.

4. A controlling device for rotary switches comprising, in combination with a plurality of switches positioned in fixed spaced relation in respect to one another with rotatable switch posts, disks mounted on each post said disks being flattened at one side, and a locking plate shiftable transversely of said posts and provided with locking shoulders between the edges of said disks and adapted to coperate therewith to maintain one or more of said switches in off position while the other is in on position.

5. A controlling device for rotary switches comprising in combination with a plurality of switches positioned in fixed spaced relation i'n respect to one another with rotatable switch posts, a disk mounted on each of said posts said disks being flattened at one side, the fiattened sides being in parallelism when all of said switches are in inoperative or off position, a locking plate shiftable transversely of said posts, locking shoulders on said plate upstanding between the edges of said disks the distance between said shoulders being approximately equal to the distance from the flattened side of one disk to a curved side of the other disk.

6. In a device comprising a plurality of rotatable members in fixed relation to one another, a shifting member on each ofy said rotatable members and having a portion at a greater distance from its center of rotation than another portion, and a shiftable locking member between said rotatable members and having an abutment associated with each of said shifting members, both of said portions of each of said shifting members being engageable with one abutment of said locking member, the portion of greater distance from the center being adapted when the shifting member is rotated to cause said locking member to move, and the locking member engaging the portion of lesser diameter to lock the shifting member against rotation.

7. In a device comprising a plurality of rotatable members in fixed spaced relation t0 one another, shifting means on each rotatable member and rotatable therewith, a locking plate having an abutment associated with each of said shifting means, each of said shifting means having a portion adapted to engage an abutment of the locking member to shift the same and a second portion with which the same abutment engages to' lock the rotatable member against rotation.

I-IOYT CATLIN. 

